Softball Drops Pair to No. 10 Grand Valley State

OVERVIEW – #10 GRAND VALLEY STATE

SCORES: Grand Valley State 8, Northwood Timberwolves 0, Grand Valley State 11, Northwood 6

RECORDS: Northwood 24-23-1, 14-14 GLIAC/Grand Valley 40-8, 24-6 GLIAC

LOCATION: Fisher Stadium – Midland, Mich.

RECAP: Northwood drops pair versus No. 10 Grand Valley State Friday (April 26).

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• April Bennett was able to wiggle out of a jam in the top of the second. A leadoff single, a groundout, and an infield error put runners at first and third with one out. Posting a strikeout and inducing a groundout, the Northwood starter kept the game scoreless heading into the bottom of the inning.
• Grand Valley broke the scoreless tie in the fourth. A walk and two singles loaded the bases with one out. A third single up the middle plated two runs and put the Lakers up 2-0 going into the bottom of the fourth.
• GVSU clinched the game early in the fifth with a big inning. After a leadoff single up the middle, a two-run homer to straightaway center doubled the lead to 4-0. Later in the frame, a walk and stolen base put a runner on second with one out. Another two-run blast to right field extended the Laker lead to 6-0. Loading the bases with two out, an infield error allowed two more runs to score as Grand Valley built up an eight-run lead and shut down the Timberwolves to earn a five-inning mercy victory.

GAME ONE STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 0/2/3, Grand Valley: 8/10/0
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 3, Grand Valley: 8
• Winning Pitcher – Allison Lipovsky (23-2): 5 IP, 2 H, 6 K, 1 BB
• Losing Pitcher – April Bennett (7-8): 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R, aa2 K, 2 BB

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Torriya Gray-Baker: 1-1, 2B, BB
• Sydni Culps: 1-2, 2B

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Grand Valley opened the scoring with a bang in the first inning. After a leadoff single, a runner caught trying to stretch a single into a double moved her to third with one out. A line drive double off the right-field wall plated one run, and a bouncing ball single up the middle scored another to put the Lakers ahead 2-0. Later in the frame with runners at first and second, the Lakers capped the inning with a three-run homer to right-center to make it 5-0 heading into the bottom of the frame.
• GVSU was back for more in the second. Two singles put runners at first and second to lead off the frame, and a three-run blast to center extended the lead to 8-0.
• Grand Valley tacked on in the fifth. A leadoff double and error put runners at second and third with one out. A fielder's choice ground ball scored the ninth run of the day for the Lakers.
• The Timberwolves cut into the deficit and made it a ballgame in the fifth. Alexis Koehler walked and Samantha Slick doubled to put runners at second and third with no out. Lauren Castellon kept the game alive with a three-run homer to right, cutting Grand Valley's lead down to 9-3.
• Later in the fifth, Mary-Kate Hines singled and Delanie Grundman walked to put runners at first and third with one out. Mikala Gronback then brought them both home with a three-run blast down the right field line and made it a 9-6 ballgame heading into the sixth.
• The Lakers responded immediately in their ensuing at-bats. After an error to lead-off the inning, a two-run bomb over the left-center field fence rebuilt the GVSU lead back to five. The Lakers held firm on this edge, as NU dropped both games of the GLIAC doubleheader.

GAME TWO STATS

• Runs/Hits/Errors – Northwood: 6/6/3, Grand Valley: 11/13/0
• Runners Left on Base – Northwood: 6, Grand Valley: 4
• Winning Pitcher – Samantha Gehrls (9-2): 7 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 7 K, 5 BB
• Losing Pitcher – Shayna Frank (8-8): 1.1 IP, 9 H, 8 R, K, 0 BB

TOP NU PERFORMERS

• Gronback: 1-2, HR, BB
• Castellon: 1-3, HR
• Chase Schultz: 2-3, 1 R, 2 2B
• Mary Kate Hines: 1-2, 1 R

NORTHWOOD NOTES

• Gronback cracked her first home run of her collegiate career in the fifth.

UP NEXT

• Northwood will travel to Ferris State on Saturday (April 27) for a doubleheader against the Bulldogs. First pitch is set for Noon.